326 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 9,1890. 
PLANTS IN POTS. 
H. 
a. 
s. 
a. 
Aralia Sieboldi, dozen .. 6 
0 to 12 
0 
Arbor Vitae (golden) doz. 6 
0 
8 
0 
Asters, dozen pots .. .. 6 
0 
9 
0 
Calceolaria, per doz. .. 4 
Chrysanthemum, per doz. 6 
0 
6 
0 
0 
21 
0 
Climbing Plants, various, 
dozen pots.4 
0 
9 
0 
Dracaena terminalis, doz. 24 
0 
42 
0 
„ viridis, dozen .. 12 
Erica, Cavendishi, per pt. 0 
0 
24 
0 
0 
0 
0 
„ various, dozen .. 12 
0 
18 
0 
Euonyrnus, var., dozen .. 6 
0 
18 
0 
Evergreens, in var., dozen 6 
0 
24 
0 
Ferns, in variety, dozen.. 4 
0 
18 
0 
Ficus elastica, each.. .. 1 
6 
7 
0 
Foliage plants, var., each 2 
0 
10 
0 
Fuchsia, per doz.4 
0 
9 
0 
Geraniums, Ivy, per doz. 0 
0 
0 
0 
B. 
a. 
8. 
d. 
Geraniums Scarlet, p. doz. 
2 
0 to 
6 
0 
Heliotrope, per doz. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Hydrangea, doz. pots .. 
9 
0 
18 
0 
Lilium lancifolium, doz. 
9 
0 
18 
0 
„ longiflorum, doz. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Lily of the Valley, 12 pots 
u 
0 
0 
0 
Lobelia, per doz. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Marguerite Daisy, dozen 
6 
0 
12 
0 
Mignonette, per dozen .. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Musk, per dozen 
0 
0 
U 
0 
Myrtles, dozen. 
6 
0 
12 
0 
Nasturtiums, dozen pots 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Palms, in var., each.. .. 
Pelargoniums, per doz. .. 
2 
6 
n 
0 
6 
0 
12 
0 
Rhodanthe, per dozen .. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Stocks, per doz. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Tropaeolums, various, per 
dozen . 
0 
0 
0 
0 
MICHAELMAS THOUGHTS. 
Farmers of arable land have now to thoroughly consider their 
scheme of cropping for another year, and well will it be for them 
if fodder crops enter largely into it in view of reducing the area of 
land under corn crops, of reducing labour, and of increasing their 
flocks and herds. What to grow and how to do it become increas- 
ingly important every year, and it is most certainly the business of 
•every farmer to make himself master of the best and latest in¬ 
formation in a matter of such vital importance. 
We are writing this article in a Leicestershire farmhouse very 
early in the morning, for we like rising with the lark, and we 
heard the rattling of the milk carts at daybreak, when the 
worthy farmer and his assistants were off to the milking on an 
outlying pasture. This farm is entirely in permanent pasture, 
not a single field is there under the plough. A couple of heavy 
carts, and a light milk cart, with implements for mowing and 
milking, is all the farming plant required out of doors. Indoors 
'the making of most excellent Stilton cheese is in full swing, and it 
is to its production that most of the farm is devoted, and much 
■care and skill are brought to bear upon the entire process from the 
making to the ripening of the cheese. 
With the farm in permanent pasture results are much affected 
by weather, and complaints of a shortness of keep caused by a dry 
September are general in this district. On this farm most of the 
sheep are, in local phraseology, “ mobbed out ” by cows and cattle, 
and they have been sent away upon hired keep for awhile. Here 
it is that one sees the evil of laying down the whole of a farm to 
permanent pasture. Anything like useful auxiliary crops is then 
an impossibility, and yet it is a certainty that a fair proportion of 
such crops enables a farmer to keep more stock to combat a 
■drought successfully, and to avoid sending away animals upon hired 
feed. It does more ; it enables him to afford his stock a more 
liberal diet, so that cows give more and richer milk, and young 
fstock are maintained in the very pink of condition, which is 
assuredly the most profitable. When this cannot be managed, the 
animals have to endure a series of trying alternations of abund¬ 
ance and scarcity. Calculations based upon a full bite upon 
pasture are upset by a drought, and then animals go short, and 
there is a falling off in condition and a serious curtailment of the 
milk yield. If stock is sold on such an emergency it is done at a 
■sacrifice, which might have been avoided if there had been such 
■crops as Lucerne, mixed seeds, Tares, Green Maize, and Cabbage 
■to fall back upon. A field of Winter Oats harvested in July and 
prepared for use at once by thrashing the corn and chaffing the 
■straw as it was carted from the field, would have given a fine store 
of most wholesome nutritious food to fall back upon all through 
<the autumn. Mention of this to our Leicestershire friend brought 
4o light the curious fact that he, though born and bred a farmer, 
had never even heard of Winter Oats, and had never seen a crop 
of Sainfoin, Green Maize, or Trifolium incarnatum. He is, never¬ 
theless, a successful farmer, and why he is so remains to be told in 
some future paper. 
It is not to be expected that pasture will be lightly broken up, 
but it is certainly a mistake not to have enough arable land to 
produce sufficient food for home consumption, and it will be well 
this Michaelmas to consider if any particularly poor and unpro¬ 
fitable meadow might not be ploughed early in winter, sown 
broadcast with Oats early in spring, and subsequently turned to 
account for any of the green crops we have mentioned. A crop 
of winter Tares might follow the Oats, and if they could be 
spared to be consumed in folds on the land by sheep, the land 
would be much improved, and the sheep would be withdrawn 
from the pasture to the advantage of the other live stock. 
Co-incident with plans for the production of more food for 
live stock should be others for weeding out unthrifty animals, 
and their speedy disposal at any price. Keep no inferior animals, 
and pray do avoid overstocking. In most parts of the country 
green food and roots are so abundant and cattle are so cheap that 
the temptation to purchase a few more is very great. Better, far 
better, is it to keep well within our means, to have a surplus of 
food rather than a scarcity, and above all things avoid the annoy¬ 
ance and loss of having to part with live stock at a sacrifice from 
the food supply failing at midwinter. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
October has come in with high wind and pelting showers, and the 
cold air under the gloomy storm clouds was a reminder of the speedy 
decline in temperature which we must now expect. We are quite 
ready for the change, with the yards and lodges all in good order, plenty 
of litter at hand, and an ample store of winter food. Yet, according to 
the views which the ordinary Leicestershire farmer embodies in his 
practice, very much of our care and its attendant expense for the com¬ 
fort of live stock in winter is as uncalled for as it is unnecessary. No 
matter how inclement the weather, his cows, aye and his young stock too, 
are out on the pasture with no other shelter than hedge or coppice affords. 
On most farms there is really no choice in the matter, for a hovel or 
two comprise the sum total of outbuildings. We do not hesitate to say 
both custom and practice are at fault here, and results prove us to be 
right; for we have heard a sad account of losses from a variety of 
ailments, and especially from abortion. Let us look into this matter 
closely. The Stilton cheese season will soon be over, butter making 
will follow for a few weeks, and then most of the cows will become 
dry and continue so for nearly three months, as they are timed to 
calve in spring about the beginning of the cheese season. The terrible 
exposure to which they are subjected in the depth of winter very 
frequently proves so exhaustive that abortion is quite a common thing, 
and yet it is termed a mystery. 
Readers of the Journal who are managers of home farms, do all 
in your power to protect your stock from exposure to cold and wet, 
for both are pregnant with evil, and both cause much suffering. By 
all means see that all your stock have pure water, pure air, plenty 
of exercise, wholesome food, and, to crown all, efficient shelter. As 
the nights become colder gradually bring stock into the yards, till 
they are at length settled down for the winter. We have held upland 
grazing as much in reserve as we could for the sheep in winter, and 
doubt not our sheep shelters will tend as usual to promote the comfort 
and health of the flock. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 AM. 
IN THE DAY. 
a 
*5 
as 
4890. 
September 
and 
October. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 328 
and Sea 
Level. 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
soli at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Mai. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
Krass 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday. 
28 
30.246 
53.7 
57.0 
s.w. 
58.8 
71.3 
64.8 
100.3 
54.3 
— 
Monday. 
29 
30.113 
58.7 
55.3 
s.w. 
68.1 
64.4 
51.6 
86.7 
47.8 
— 
Tuesday .... 
80 
29.995 
60.3 
55,0 
s.w. 
57.9 
66.0 
55.2 
107.2 
51.2 
— 
Wednesday.. 
1 
29.763 
60.4 
56.9 
s.w. 
£8.0 
63.9 
57.0 
97.4 
53.1 
0.032 
Thursday.... 
2 
30.323 
48.7 
43.9 
w. 
56.6 
61.1 
39.8 
102.4 
31.0 
— 
Friday . 
8 
SO. 312 
63.7 
49.0 
w. 
64.9 
66.1 
45.7 
106.1 
39.1 
— 
Saturday .... 
4 
30.218 
59.1 
54.9 
w. 
54.9 
68.5 
49.0 
109.4 
43.8 
— 
30.139 
57.1 
53.0 
I 67.0 
66.2 
50.2 
101.4 
46.2 
0.032 
REMARKS. 
28th.—Fine and bright, especially in afternoon. 
29th.—Brilliant early ; overcast after 9 A.M. 39th.—Brilliant throughout. 
Oct. 1st.—Overcast and squally, with occasional spots of rain in morning; showers from 
noon to 1 r.M., and at 2.50 P.M., otherwise fine and bright in afternoon and 
evening. 2nd.—Almost cloudless throughout, but colder. 
3rd.—Brilliant throughout. 4'h.—Cloudy early ; unbroken sunshine from 8-30 A.M. 
The fifth consecutive we°k with a temperature above the average. Practically rai 
lets, and with an exctptional amount of bright sunshine.— G; J. SYMONS. 
